Kelly Outduels Morton in Thrilling D-backs Victory

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. delivered a big hit and made a game saving catch in the 9th

It wasn't the biggest  crowd of the year at Chase Field, but it was definitely the loudest. Miguel Castro stood on the mound in the ninth inning in front of 28,000 fans, evenly split between Braves and Diamondbacks fans, all on their feet and chanting back and forth.  It had been like that all night long. With runners on first and third and two outs in a one run ballgame, Orlando Arcia bounced a come backer at Castro, who gloved it cleanly and ran halfway to first base before flipping to Christian Walker for the final out of a 3-2 Diamondbacks victory. 

As is often the case, baseball can be a game of inches. A couple of seeing eye ground balls snuck through in the ninth inning, but Lourdes Gurriel Jr. made an outstanding catch at the wall on the only hard hit ball off Castro to save the game. After the game Gurriel credited coach Dave McKay for all the work that he's been doing with him to improve his outfield play. Over the course of this home stand he's made several outstanding catches. 

Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/pHUUXoEmXi

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) June 3, 2023

Merrill Kelly outdueled Braves starter Charlie Morton, allowing just two runs in seven innings, both on solo home runs by Eddie Rosario.  The D-backs offense jumped on Morton for two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Infield singles by Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll put two men on. A two-out  double by  Gurriel Jr.  scored them both as Carroll raced all the way around from first. They scored another on a  Walker double in the third. That also drove in Carroll, again from first base where he'd reached on a walk. 

That was all they could get off of Morton, as he allowed just one hit, a two-out double in the 4th by Nick Ahmed. Kelly and Morton both left the game after seven strong innings from each, and the Diamondbacks holding a 3-2 lead.  Kelly only had two innings where he retired the side in order, the 4th and 5th, but made pitches when he needed to and was helped out by his defense. 

Austin Riley doubled with two outs and Matt Olson on first base in the third inning. Olson was held up by third base coach Ron Washington, but got caught off the bag when Emmanuel Rivera made a heads up cut on the throw to home by Ahmed and tagged Olson out for the final out.  The final line for each pitcher was very good, and quite comparable. 

Jack Sommers

Kelly said he felt his fastball and cutter command was pretty good tonight but the changeup was off  and he got away with some.  There was a moment in the seventh inning when after the second Rosario homer the Braves fans began chanting and doing  the Chop. They were drowned out by D-backs fans who booed them into submission and then cheered loudly as Kelly proceeded to strike out the last batter of the inning.  

Asked what he thought about the energy tonight in the ballpark, Kelly said it was "Awesome, that seventh inning especially, those guys [Braves fans] started doing the chop, and our fans didn't like that too much. That was some of the better energy I've felt in here in a while." Torey Lovullo also addressed that energy, as captured in this tweet by Michael McDermott

#Dbacks manager Torey Lovullo spoke about the type of fan atmosphere in tonight’s ball game. pic.twitter.com/0wqT3hrtjK

— Michael McDermott (@MichaelMcD8393) June 3, 2023

This was the Diamondbacks 6th victory in a row. The last time they did that was August 12-18 of 2020.   With the win the D-backs remain tied with the Dodgers for first place in the NL West with a 35-23 record.  The series resumes tomorrow night, with a late 7:10 P.M. start.  Spencer Strider will go for  the  Braves and Ryne Nelson gets the ball for the D-backs.